Thursday 8 August 2013

Musselburgh, Firth of Forth

Another visit to Scotland this week, this time to the east coast and Musselburgh on the Firth of Forth, next door to Edinburgh. Musselburgh Lagoons have turned up some national rarities in the past, so I was very excited to visit the place for the first time yesterday.
 
On the lagoons there were quite a few waders, especially Dunlin, Redshanks, Lapwings, Curlew and Oystercatchers, but also Ruff, Greenshank, Common Sandpipers and Snipe. No sign of the recent Wood Sandpiper though. A few Sandwich and Common terns dropped in for a wash, and a couple of Roe Deer were at the back of the pools early morning today.
 
Out on the sea this morning, I was delighted to find seven drake Velvet Scoter quite close inshore, whilst other sea birds included up to 500 Eider,  60 Red-breasted mergansers, 20 Gannets, 200 Mute Swans and lots of terns and gulls. On the mud, Bar-tailed Godwits, Turnstones and Ringed Plover.
 

Musselburgh lagoons

A spectacular sunset over the Firth of Forth last night, with Edinburgh in the distance.

Drake Velvet Scoter.


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